Mel sits down with Toby Balazs, CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV), who brings over 20 years of experience across proptech, residential, and project marketing — and right now, a packed policy agenda heading into an election year.

From a controversial auction rule change the industry believes will backfire, to 130+ regulatory shifts hitting property managers in just four years, to a landmark compliance deadline every agent needs to know about — Toby covers the structural shifts that will affect buyers, sellers, investors, and renters alike.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why investor confidence is wavering — and what the REIV wants government to do about it
• The auction reserve debate: what the government proposed, why the industry pushed back, and what a better solution looks like
• Vendor-paid building and pest inspections: the case for, the caveats, and what a staged rollout might mean in practice
• 130+ changes to the Residential Tenancy Act in four years — and why the REIV is calling time on further reform
• The end of the REIV's RTO and what mandatory CPD means for practitioners
• AML Tranche 2: the compliance deadline hitting agents on July 1 and how to get ready

ABOUT DOMAIN & CO

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions of your life. Often the biggest financial decision you'll ever make. Bigger than anything else you'll sign your name to.

And the people meant to help you make it have started to look a lot like the people you didn't trust in the first place.

The polished ones in the sharp suits. The corporate machines who never learn your name. Or worst of all. No one. Just you and a portal and a hunch.

We've spent thirty years on both sides of property. The buy and the sell. The boom and the bust. The houses that grew. The ones that didn't. The agents you'd want in your corner. The ones you wouldn't.

We've walked the same families through five, six transactions across decades. First home. Family home. Forever home. The next chapter after that.

So we don't pitch. We don't perform. We don't take work we don't believe in. We just tell you what we'd do, if it were us in your position.

For property, told straight. We're your property people.

https://domainandco.com.au/

 Timestamps: 

0:00 Introduction & guest background 

1:08 Toby's background — from Proptech to REIV CEO 

2:26 The REIV's role: advocacy, compliance and education 

3:08 Election year priorities — rental supply and investor confidence 

5:03 How much has regulatory change hurt Victoria's rental market? 

6:18 130+ changes to the Residential Tenancy Act in four years 

8:57 The REIV Blueprint for a Better Functioning Property Market 

11:01 The auction reserve debate — government proposal vs. REIV's fix 

14:29 Balancing price transparency with vendor protection 

16:21 Mandatory vendor building and pest inspections — pros and risks 

19:38 Education changes — REIV exits its RTO role 

21:22 Mandatory CPD coming industry-wide — what agents need to know 

23:17 Biggest opportunity: fixing rental supply 

24:19 Biggest challenge: AML Tranche 2 changes from July 1 

25:34 One thing Toby wants consumers to understand right now 

26:16 Upcoming REIV events — NAFE, AUSTROS and Young Agents 

28:23 Wrap-up & where to find the REIV Blueprint 

Nathan brings nearly two decades of industry context from Blue Rock, a Melbourne-based multi-disciplinary firm covering accounting, financial advice, legal services, and mortgage broking, giving clients a rare one-stop-shop advantage.

WHAT WE COVER:

How much can you borrow right now?

Interest rates rising from 0.10% to 4.35% and elevated living costs have significantly reduced borrowing capacity. Banks also apply a 3% buffer on top of current rates, meaning a 6% rate is assessed at 9%. And even if you live frugally, the bank's Household Expenditure Measure, based on income, household size, and dependants may assume much higher spending than your reality.

 The biggest finance mistakes buyers make

Impulse buying without a current pre-approval is the number one mistake Nathan sees. Approvals from 6–12 months ago may no longer reflect what you can actually borrow. Waiting until you're under contract or unconditional to start the finance process can leave you paying higher rates through non-conforming lenders.

What a pre-approval actually does

A pre-approval means the bank has assessed your income, liabilities, living costs, and credit profile everything except the property itself. It gives you real confidence to search the market, and is especially critical if you're planning to bid at auction (where there's no finance clause to fall back on).

Structuring your loan for the future

Even first home buyers should think about debt structure from day one. Fixed vs. variable, principal-and-interest vs. interest-only, and ownership structure all have implications especially if the property may become an investment down the track. This is where having a team of advisors (accountant, financial advisor, mortgage broker) working together is invaluable.

Red flags that could derail your finance

- No credit profile (having zero debt history can actually be a problem with some lenders)

- Missed repayments on any debt, including AfterPay and buy-now-pay-later products

- The property type itself rural locations and small apartments don't meet all lenders' criteria

Nathan's one piece of advice

Get prepared before you start looking. See a mortgage broker (it costs you nothing brokers are paid by lenders), understand your borrowing capacity, get pre-approved, and build your team of advisors early. Preparation is the single biggest thing that separates a smooth purchase from a stressful one.

CONNECT WITH NATHAN MURPHY @ BLUEROCK

 Nathan Murphy

0477 000 506 | nathan.murphy@thebluerock.com.au

We're for business owners and people with ambitious goals. Our team of business and wealth experts all work together to get the best outcomes for clients. We know that business can be tough and that life gets busy, which is why we act as advisors, not just accountants, and bring together lawyers, finance brokers, digital specialists, insurance brokers, financial planners and grant consultants. Everyone you need on your team to make your life easier.

https://www.bluerock.com.au/

ABOUT DOMAIN & CO

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions of your life.

Often the biggest financial decision you’ll ever make.

Bigger than anything else you’ll sign your name to.

And the people meant to help you make it

have started to look a lot like the people you didn’t trust in the first place.

The polished ones in the sharp suits.

The corporate machines who never learn your name.

Or worst of all. No one. Just you and a portal and a hunch.

We’ve spent thirty years on both sides of property.

The buy and the sell. The boom and the bust.

The houses that grew. The ones that didn’t.

The agents you’d want in your corner.

The ones you wouldn’t.

We’ve walked the same families through five, six transactions across decades.

First home. Family home. Forever home. The next chapter after that.

So we don’t pitch. We don’t perform. We don’t take work we don’t believe in.

We just tell you what we’d do, if it were us in your position.

For property, told straight.

We’re your property people.

https://domainandco.com.au/

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction & guest background

1:04 About Blue Rock

2:21 How much can you borrow right now?

4:35 Biggest mistakes buyers make

6:07 The 3% interest rate buffer explained

6:36 What is a pre-approval and why does it matter?

8:04 Buying at auction without pre-approval

9:02 Structuring your loan for future growth

11:05 Fixed vs variable in the current market

12:11 First home buyers vs investors

13:11 Red flags that could block your finance

15:25 Steps to take in the next 3–6 months

17:16 Check your credit score it's free

17:59 Nathan's one piece of advice